Traditionally, I've always answered Merckx to this question, even though he'd retired before I even learned how to ride a bike, so that's based on reputation alone.

However, it was Lemond who really got me interested in cycling. Sure, there were Hinault, Fignon, Kelly, Delgado, Abdoujaparov and Millar around at the same time, and they were all great, but my abiding memories of watching the Tour de France on C4 in that era are of Lemond.

Plus, in light of recent events, I've come to admire him even more as a person, as well as a cyclist.

Bartali. Won the tour both before the war and ten years after. His record during the war which only became known quite recently and after his death shows that he was seriously heroic in the absolute sense as well as on the bike.

Have voted for Mercx, because of his amazing dominance, BUT...this guy Bartali is a real world hero, and gets my vote too.

Bartali isn't on the list. His war time activities have already been mentioned - but those make him a great person, possibly the greatest person who was a (professional) cyclist, not the greatest cyclist. I'm torn between Burton and Merckx for my vote - I'd kind of disqualify Burton because she was great at cycling, rather than a great cyclist - unlike the others she didn't make a living from it. But then neither does TG (you might say both live(d) for rather than from cycling) and he's on the list, so...

I don't think so at all. Before I made it I looked up their record. Beryl set far more records, true, but Nicole dominated professional road cycling in a way that Beryl didn't, and Beryl wasn't facing the same level of competition.

I don't think so at all. Before I made it I looked up their record. Beryl set far more records, true, but Nicole dominated professional road cycling in a way that Beryl didn't, and Beryl wasn't facing the same level of competition.

Hmmm, BB won 12 national RR champs and 2 Worlds, to NC's 10 national and 1 World. BB would have won more Worlds if not that she was so good that she was usually marked out of the race so much. In addition she managed 5 World track golds. She also once beat me in a 10, something Nicole has not yet managed to do!

I would add one comment about Beryl Burton's record, when she was competing in national/international women's road races it was thought that females were not capable of riding long distances or hilly courses. Most road races were comparatively short distances and she was a marked rider. It would have been very interesting to see her compete in current women's events. Don't forget that she was world champion at the pursuit and also she beat the men's record for 12 hours so she was certainly was an "all rounder", indeed she held the women's Best All Rounder award for a record number of years and I believe the distances involved were 25, 50 and 100 miles, the 12 hour event was only for the men's BAR.